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Killing BluRay, new Oppo BR 83

OK, I have been vocal on these forums with my opinion that BluRay is a short term media, and will not become the dominant media format. My reason:

1) There is not a mind blowing difference in BluRay quality
over the existing domintant format of DVD. That's not to say BluRay is not better, but it's not the difference between VHS and DVD, where you couldn't believe what you were seeing. Does it look and sound better, yes. Does it change your life, no. Especially with the quality of the upconverting DVD players available.

2) Given my first point, I don't think there is a big call to replace any purchased DVD's with BluRay. Any videophile who had a bunch of VHS tapes did that immeadiately with DVD, but why do it again? Basically the same disk, great sound, and small size, with excellent picture. I don't think that investment is going to be made again, and that means the market for BluRay discs is MUCH smaller for classic movies.

3) The advenet of internet based movie downloads is already available in HD. Granted, it's only 720 and no HD soundtracks, but does anyone believe that is not coming, and quickly. I love using my AppleTV to rent movies, never leave the house, and don't have to return. Honestly, I have bought a bunch of movies that way, since I have such a big network storage capacity. I think this will be the dominant AV format going forward, both movies and music. More high res video and music available faster. I believe that the rise in the market for outboard DAC's will become even greater, and they will have he ability to decode the new higher res music, and possible video soundtracks in surround. Output to analog preamps for Audiophile grade sound will become the norm for audiophiles, or hybrid HT/2 channel systems, as is becoming the norm.

I whole-heartedly believe this since recieving my new Oppo BluRay player. It is a great player, and it's the second BluRay I have had in my system so it just has re-inforced my previous hypothosis regarding the future of BluRay. Don't get me wrong, the player is STELLAR in every way. Considering the price, it's almost criminal especially on SACD and DVD-Audio (which I have not had any of the problems that the first firmware owners had). I have not gotten to use it as a CD transport yet, I am waiting on one of Paul G's (TubeAudioDesign) new DACs and the redbook CD sound on it's own was just OK.

That said, after watching several movies in both BluRay and DVD on the same player, the difference is just not that huge. It is better, but not enough to make me run out and buy any of those movies again on BluRay. It's the difference, to me, between the Magnepan 3.6 and 20.1. It's definitely better, but they are both excellent.

OK, those are my thoughts, FWIW.

I came to these conclusion
macdadtexas
parasound63
162 posts
 
Thanks! I really respect your point of view, especially since you can be contrarian with a sense of humor. You certainly help keep my conflicting thoughts honest.

-P
mezmo
516 posts
 
For what it’s worth, happened to spend some time kicking about all these arguments with a relatively senior guy at Toshiba North America about the time that Toshiba decided to bow out of the old format war. The general thinking from the folks with a whole lot of $$$ on the line was that winning the war of attrition for the next physical disk format would be a relatively short-term phyrric victory. Trust me, I was first in line hoping for a victor so that I could sign up for the next format – but it took so long to actually shake out that, by the time it did, the next paradigm shift (to downloadable) seemed so close on the horizon that it just didn’t seem worth the bother. Toshiba, with infinitely more to gain or lose in the process, essentially made the same bet. I won’t claim any more insight than the next guy, but from where I’m sitting, seems like a prudent call.

That said, not sure that the same reasoning necessarily holds up on an individual consumer level. Sure, replacing a big DVD library with BR seems like a silly proposition. But, I generally rent and am not buying DVDs any more either. Purchased my Oppo before the BR version came out, and it suits me just fine. But had I waited for it, I’m sure I would have gone with the BDP 83 instead because: why not? No one disputes BR is better on both the picture and sonic front, so why on earth, if purchasing a new player anyway, wouldn’t I throw that in as an option for rentals? If software is rental-driven, the “investment” required to open the door is relatively negligible. Yet, having already recently thrown down for an upscaling universal (minus BR), I see no reason to re-upgrade just to include BR.

Seem to be coming out somewhere about a middle ground. My two cents, at any rate.
loomisjohnson
1,905 posts
 
Very interesting forum...I'd be curious to see industry data on how quickly BR is proliferating. I suspect, for many of the reasons that Macdad posits, that the growth rate of BR is slowing and will shortly plateau.
Personally, I think the question for most people is not whether BR is qualitiatively much better than DVD (it is), but whether the difference is cost justified. Especially as the price of BR players keeps dropping, the industry will charge a substantial premium for BR media. As consumer spending habits have been (permanently?) changed by our current economic malaise, and people have gotten into a Depression-era mindset, I don't think most people will pay the premium.
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
i think the question should be:

are any BR players superior to CD players using redbook as format? obviously cost considerations are relevant. if i thought that , say, a $1000 BR player would be superior, sonically, to a CD player i own, i would be motivated to acquire a BR player. at this point, i am not.
macdadtexas OP
1,794 posts
 
OK, I just downloaded a video my kids wanted to see that I couldn't find on DVD or iTunes from Amazon. It downloaded in 30 minutes in HD (only 720) and watched it on both the computer, and was able to get it onto my 52" Sony LCD through the network pretty quickly.

That is the death of discs. Just as downloads are the death of CD's.

I think people will still buy vinyl, but I can't see any reason to use a disc anymore for a movie. Rent it online through your cable/satellite company, or Roku or AppleTV.

I won't post to this thread anymore, I am beating a dead horse. But, every day I believe that my original contention that BluRay will not become a dominant media format has already come true.

For those of you thinking about buying disc players of any kind, spend the money on a good DAC, or more media storage (for Movies) instead.
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